I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle brakes and, more particularly, to a brake pad assembly for use with a disc brake.
II. Description of Related Art
Many vehicles, such as motorcycles, utilize a disc brake system for slowing the vehicle. In such a disc brake system, a brake disc is attached to and rotates in unison with the vehicle wheel.
A pair of brake pad assemblies are then positioned in a caliper on opposite sides of the brake disc so that brake pads on the brake pad assembly face each other but on opposite sides of the brake disc. The caliper includes a moving mechanism which, under control of the operator, compresses the brake pads against the brake disc to slow the rotation of the brake disc and thus the rotation of the wheel.
Since the brake pads compress against the brake disc during rotation of the brake disc during a braking operation, a large amount of heat is generated from the friction between the brake pads and the brake disc. During heavy or frequent braking operations, the heat generated by the friction between the brake pads and the brake disc can become excessive and result in damage to the brake disc system. Such damage oftentimes necessitates replacement of the disc brake system which is not only time consuming, but expensive.